Louvered air conditioner cover



Dec. 5, 1961 J. N. KOHNEN 3,011,424

LOUVERED AIR CONDITIONER COVER Filed June 25, 1960 2 sheets-sheet 1INVENTOR. John N.Kohnen Dec. 5, 1961 J. N. KOHNEN 3,011,424

LOUVERED AIR CONDITIONER COVER Filed June '25, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2FIG. 7

* United States Patent Ofitice 3,01 1,424 Patented Dee. 5, 19613,011,424 LOUVERED AIR CONDITIGNER COVER John N. Kohnen, 45 NE. 54thSt., Miami, Fla. Filed June 23,1960, Ser. No. 38,142

4 Claims. (Cl. 98-94) The present invention relates to means removablyattachable to the outer face of a building Wall for covering adisfiguring and unsightly objectprotruding from the wall. Such anobject'is a room air" conditioning unit,

. and the invention has particular relation to a louvered other objectof the invention to provide a louvered cover for this overhangingportion, which is of such dimensions as to span the wall opening inwhich the window frame is set and be anchored against the face of thewall, the cover being separate and independent of the unit and all partsof the window'per se so that the sash may be raised and louvered and theunit moved in or out at will without contact with or hindrance by theprotective cover.

The cover is of general rectangular shape, open at the bottom and acrossits rear wall engaging face, andit is a further object of the inventionto provide a structure of this character in which the front and twoopposing sides are formed by superimposed louvers of such novel design,arrangement and 'slope as to withstand severe storms, keep out drivingrain and salt spray, and prevent the development of air currents thatwould interfere with 7 ing more detailed description, and particularlydefined in I the appended claims. 7

The accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention and forming a partof the specification, are as follows:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the cover or hood shown attached to the outerface of a building wall and Spanning a window opening.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1. In this view, theinvention is shown as a cover for an air conditioner supported upon awindow sill and extending outwardly from the sill.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the invention, as seen fromits open rear face.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views of front and rear upright members,respectively, which support the louver plates.

FIG. 6 is a view of the invention as seen in front elevation. i i

FIG. 7 is a sectional plan taken on line 7-7, FIG. 6, and looking in thedirection of the arrows.

In the illustrated embodiment .of the invention, see,

FIG. 2, there is shown in side elevation at 8 a typical room airconditioning unit supported upon the sill 9 of a window frame 10 set inan opening 11, FIG. 1, of a building wall 12. Also seen in FIG. 2 is afragmentary portion of the lower window sash which'is raised so that thebottom rail 13 rests upon the inner portion of the unit 8, spacesbetween the box-like unit 8 and the side rails of the window frame 10being closed in the usual manner by adjustable plates not shown. Thatpart of the unit 8 to be covered by the invention is the portionprotruding beyond the outer face of the wall 12.

The cover, indicated generally by numeral 14, is, as hereinabove stated,a hood-shaped housing of rectangular formation open at the rear and withthe front and two sides comprising a plurality of superimposedhorizontally extending louvers.

The side louvers are formed by sheet metal plates 15 and the frontlouvers by similar but longer plates 16. Each plate 15 is formed alongits front edge with a downwardly turned skirt forming flange 17 andalong its'rear edge with an upturned flange 18. The corresponding edgesof the plates 16 are similarly formed with front and rear flanges 19 and20, respectively.

The side plates 15 terminate at one end in the plane of the open rearface of the cover 14 and each of such plates 15 at its outer end hasmiter joint connection at 21 with a corresponding front plate 16. Thusthe plates 15 and 16 of each louver are continuous along the sides andacross the front of the cover 14. 7

Supporting the louver plates 15 and 16 is an inner frame structurecomprising uprights 22 and 23 shown in detail in FIGS. 4 andS,respectively, the uprights 22 being located at the front corners of therectangular cover 14 and the uprights 23 at the rear corners. Theseuprights are preferably die-cut blanks shaped as shown by punch press orother suitable forming tools.

Each member '22 has an elongated portion 24, in this instance angular incross section and from one longitudinal-edge of which regularly spacedportions of the blank are turned laterally outward to provide brackets25. The free upper parts of these bracket portions 25 are in turn bentlaterally on the bias, and in the direction away from the part 24, toform downward sloping supporting surfaces 26 for the louver plates 16.

Each upright 23 has an elongated fiat portion 27 along I one edge ofwhich regularly spaced portions of the blank are bent laterally outwardto provide brackets 28 the upper free parts of which, like the parts 26of brackets 25, are laterally turned along bias lines, but in thisinstance in a direction toward the elongated part 27, to providedownward sloping supporting surfaces 29 for the louver plates, 15.

The louver plates 15 and 16 are secured to their inclined supportingsurfaces 29 and 26 by any suitable fastening devices but preferably bynon-rust rivets indicated at 30. p

The angle of inclination of the bias lines along which the parts 26 and29 are bent determines the slope of these parts and that of the louverforming plates 15 and 16.

Covering the inner frame structure comprising the uprights 22 and 23 isa top plate 3 1. This plate 3 1 has a continuous depending flange 32along its front and side edges which fits snugly over and is secured byrivets 33 to the upturned inner flanges 1'8 and 20 of the plates 15 and16 of the uppermost louver.

Along the rear edge of the top plate 31 is an upstanding flange 34 whichbysuitable anchor bolts 35 is secured to the face of. the building wall12 and is the means whereby the cover 14 is mounted with its open faceflush with the wall.

It will be observed from the illustrated embodiment of the inventionthat the side louvers are of greater extent outwardly from the uprights22 and 23 of the supporting frame structure than that of the frontlouvers from the front uprights 22-22. Consequently the slope of thecover, a structural feature to be desired.

The downwardly turned outer flanges 17 and 19 and upwardly turned innerflanges 18 and 20 of the louvers provide baffles for keeping out rainand salt spray, and the openings between the louvers permit circulationof plenty of air so that there is no interference with the intake andoutput of air from the enclosed air conditioning unit 8.

T he cover 14 is preferably made of a special aluminum alloy coated witha baked in enamel and an application of Turkish lacquer is included asan armored protection against salt spray It may also be stated thatlight-colored baked aluminum reflects 95% of solar heat before such heattouches the enclosed unit. Therefore the air conditioning unit is keptshade cool and by absorbing shaded air, the unit operates with maximumefficiency and with longer life.

It is to be understood that the specific embodiment of the invention, asdescribed and shown in the drawings, in a window frame installation, ismerely for the purposes of illustration, and that other installationsare contemplated, such as through openings formed in the wall of thebuilding apart from the Window, such as are well known in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a cover of general rectangular shape for housing that portion ofan air conditioning unit protruding from a window opening in the sidewall of a building, an inner frame structure including an upright ateach corner of the cover, a plurality of brackets regularly spacedlongitudinally of and extending laterally outward from said uprights anddownward sloping flanges turned laterally from the top edges of saidbrackets, each of said uprights, its brackets and flange portions beingintegrally formed from a single blank of sheet metal, a plurality ofsuperimposed longitudinally extending louvers forming the front and twosides of the cover, the rear side edges, respectively, of said louverplates, a top plate for said cover, a continuing flange turned downwardfrom the front and side edges of said top, such top flanges engagingover the corresponding upturned inner flanges of the uppermost one ofsaid louver plates and riveted there- 4 to, an upturned flange along therear edge of said top and anchoring means for securing said flange tothe building wall 'with the open rear face of the cover flush with thewall.

2. In a cover of vgeneral rectangular shape for housing that portion ofan air conditioning unit protruding from an opening in the side wall ofa building, an inner frame structure including an upright at each cornerof the cover, a plurality of brackets regularly spaced longitudinally ofand extending laterally outward from said uprights and downward slopingflanges turned laterally from the top edges of said brackets, aplurality of super-imposed longitudinally extending louvers forming thefront and two sides 'with a cover, the rear side of the cover being openand said louvers being supported upon and fixed tothe said slopingflanges, downwardly turned flanges and upwardly turned flanges extendingalong the outer and inner longitudinal edges, respectively, of saidlouver plates, a top plate for said cover, a continuing flange upturnedinner flanges of the uppermost one of said louver plates and fixedthereto, an upturned flange along the rear edge of said top andanchoring means for securing said flange .to the building wall with theopen rear face of the cover flush with the wall.

3. Ina cover of general rectangular shape for housing that portion of anair conditioning unit protruding from an opening in the side wall of abuilding, as described in claim 2, wherein, the plurality ofsuper-imposed longitudinally extending louvers forming the front of saidcover are of lesser width than the louvers which form the two sides ofthe cover.

4. In a cover of general rectangular shape for housing that portion ofan air conditioning unit protruding from an opening in the side wall ofa building, as'described in claim 2, wherein the width of the two sidesof the plurality of superimposed longitudinally extending louvers arewider than the front plurality of longitudinally extending louvers.

References Cited in the 'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

